The Insomniac and the Virgin Blade
by Scorpion vs SubZero
Summary: The first part to my planned Welcome to the Family series, we dove into the mission of a Dark Brotherhood recruit as a simple stakeout mission turns into the ride of his life.


**Welcome to the Family:**

**The Stories of a Dark Brotherhood Initiate**

**Shadowblade**

**By: ****Chris Fallin**

**Story One: The Insomniac and the Virgin Blade**

**Rain's Hand**

**Middas**

**7:00 a.m.**

The Blade of Woe quaked ever so gently in my hand as I crouched in the shadows. By Sithis, I hate stakeouts. My objective, a Count of Bravil I think he goes by the name of… I seem to have forgotten his name. The bonus will only be presented to me if I kill him in his sleep. Everyone knows that he's an insomniac. For three days straight I've waited in this house relying purely upon my Shrouded Armor and my unique potency to stealth. I've stolen food from the basement when I can get to it. You wouldn't believe how many guards they can fit in one particular space.

The rooms are heavily guarded, but not guarded enough that I can't get around if I needed to. Strange that no one bothers to guard things such as food storage and the cellar, but that fact means I can't complain too much. It's not too much trouble to stakeout... it's just long. I could kill him if he were to go to sleep. Sneak past the guards, past the security, straight to the edge of his bed. But, it might take a while before he goes to sleep. He might never go to sleep. Although, if that's the case, I may never leave. Just as long as they keep restocking the food cabinet…

**Rain's Hand**

**Turdas**

**2:00 a.m.**

The old man has done it! He's finally gone to sleep! Thank Sithis; this will all be over very soon. Or at least, I thought it would be. I snuck into his bedroom after he had fallen into his slumber, climbing on rafters on the ceiling to avoid detection. I had to assassinate two of the guards that were sitting next to the bed, but of course that was my job, to kill. One didn't even see it coming; I had his throat slit in a minute, death from the ceiling. The other one had the good sense of checking in on his partner, he could almost scream before I had thrown a knife right in between his eyes. You have to remember that I was trained for this kind of thing.

So with the details sorted out I approached the bed swiftly, smoothly, and sneakily. The Blade of Woe was to be a virgin blade no longer. Time to deflower her. The dagger struck swift and deep, slicing through the throat as if it were slicing through parchment. He gurgled, and then died. I laughed triumphantly to myself. I wanted to see his face, as he lies dying. I pulled back the bed sheet to find… the Count?

No, not the Count. An imposter. Son of a bitch! I should've known that the damn insomniac wouldn't fall asleep as easy as that. But, by the time that this conclusion was brought upon me, the guards were upon me as well. They filed in all fancy with their silver longswords and their fine steel bows planning on just an assassin with no skill other than sneaking around. You have to remember that I was trained for this kind of thing.

**Rain's Hand**

**Turdas**

**3:45 a.m.**

'Tis was a long and bloody battle, but from my writing here now you can tell that I triumphed over the guards and their weak skills. I am a Master Warrior as well as a Master Assassin. The Warrior came in a life previous to the Dark Brotherhood. The Assassin came with much work and years of training and finally, Lucien awarded me the Blade of Woe. Not even the Sufferthorn is my prize. I wasn't able to use it on my first real field mission because of…minor technicalities. But that's not here or there.

I was at a loss of what to do next; I went back to the Dark Sanctuary to ask some of my comrades what to do next. Ocheeva said that often there is a tunnel connecting neighboring cities and towns. I might want to "Persuade" one of the guards to tell me how to gain access to one of these tunnels. Vicente also told me that perhaps the Count was forewarned of this, from a traitor that is rumored to be stalking the very halls I stand in, and maybe switched places with a guard or something of the nature. The Orc told me to smash a guard's head in until he told me what I needed to know. Lot of good shouting at a rock would do me.

Rain's Hand 

**Tirdas**

**5:00 pm**

I set out again to Bravil to track down the Count, I took the Orc's advice by beating the spit out of one of the Castle Guards, who would've thought I could get information out of him like that? Well, I did and he told me that basically the stone well in the middle of the Castle Courtyard has a several mile corridor that leads directly out of town. More than likely, the corridor leads to Leyawiin, the Count most likely lies in the safety of a guarded house or perhaps even the Guard's Barracks where his precious infantry can protect him.

Rain's Hand Tirdas 

**9:30 pm**

When the guard said several miles he meant it. It took me four and a half hours to just get to Leyawiin. It's a neighboring city damn it! It was tedious, but I finally got through the passage and into the city that holds the bed of my prey.

I stalked the shadows until I reached the Castle. It's easy to get information with your knife to someone's neck. I found out that the Count was hiding out in Morgaz-Ro-Mundar's home near the East Gate. I traveled there under the cover of night and noticed extra patrols running around that particular area. I could see how this was inconspicuous.

I went in through a convenient little hole on the roof. I dropped directly into the center of another little guard brigade. Great…

Rain's Hand Tirdas 

**11:45 pm**

Another setback, another Sithis damned setback. During my battle with the guards, the Count managed to escape, YET AGAIN! I released my rage upon the guard's doomed heads. They're all dead now. Ha! But, now I have no leads onto the position of the Count at this time. It's fifteen 'til midnight. I ought to get back to the Dark Sanctuary and rest. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow…

Rain's Hand 

**Fredas**

**8:24 am**

I awoke the next morning and immediately set out to get whatever information I could about the Count's whereabouts. I searched around the city first. Maybe some of the beggars in the area know something. They didn't.

I searched around Leyawiin, which provided more answers. The beggars here knew something. They told me where the Count was heading to for a good forty out of pocket. So I gave them the money they gave me the information .The Count apparently ran straight to the furthest city he could find, Bruma. In Cloud Ruler Temple. Home of the Blades. How typical of them, to make my life harder.

Rain's Hand 

**Fredas**

**4:35 pm**

I traveled to Bruma on a horse I stole from the stables outside of the gates. It certainly made the ride a bit shorter. Of course, eight hours on a horse is enough to make your skin crawl. I crept through the gates at around 4:50, didn't seem to get much from the guards. Seems like news hasn't traveled about me yet. It's sure to.

Cloud Ruler wasn't too far out of pocket, I could go and buy something from the Mage's Guild in Bruma to make myself…less noticeable. Lest the Blades suspect something. I decided on a few Chameleons and a Charm/ Charisma. That should help; sweet-talking always seems to work with the authorities. Or at least, my sweet-talking does.

Rain's Hand 

**Fredas**

**5:30 pm**

Made it to Cloud Ruler in a decent amount of time. No questions by the guards, no glances from the civilians, completely in tune with my aloof Night Mother. I told someone named Taurus, who was standing directly in front of the door, that I needed to speak to their Guild master, Jaffrey, or something of that nature, about a Mythic Dawn encampment just outside of Anvil. He let me in no questions asked.

So I crept into the Great Hall first and stuck to the corner shadows, revealing myself to the light only when completely necessary. I went into the West Wing to see if the Count was sound asleep. I was pissed off when I found practically the whole damn lot of them crowded down there. That's something I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting, the Blade standing right on top of the stairs. Looking down on me. Steel Bow and arrow drawn and aimed. Trained right on my forehead. He said, "Get out, assassin, you're not killing the Count tonight. I recognized him from the doorway. Baurus. Must have seen through my little façade. Those Sithis damned Blades…

Rain's Hand 

**Fredas**

**7:43 pm**

Made it clear that I protested getting out until my job was done. They put me into custody under the rule of the Empire. They locked me in a room with minimal light, minimal food, and minimal space. They told me they would send a transport for me to the Imperial Prison tomorrow. I'll probably spend the rest of my days there for trying to murder a Count.

Also, that will be the perfect time to strike.

Rain's Hand 

**Loredas**

**6:00 am**

The escort came, three of them on horseback, one looked like he had some extra room in his saddle. They shoved me into the horse and told me to get on; it was difficult with my hands tied. I got on, and then we were off. My three officers and me.

So there I was, on horseback with a Imperial officer right in front of me. I maneuvered my hands in front of me, giving me a perfect choking spot. The rope was around his neck in the snap of a lightning bolt, ten seconds flat until his little lungs were at a loss for air.

The others sprang into action; lucky enough that I managed to cut the rope with the guards sword, luckier still that I managed to slice them both open. I looted the bodies and dressed as one of them, a Legion Imperial, I hated myself for wearing the garb, but it had to be done for the sake of my mission.

I stole one of their horses and rode back up to Cloud Ruler. Told the damn doorman that the Empire sent me to add extra security to the Count.

"He doesn't need any extra security, I'm sure we have it covered. You're relieved," he said. I didn't quite like the tone in his voice.

"The Elder Council demands it and in turn of the unfortunate death of Emperor Uriel Septim, the Elder Council rules this little slice of paradise in the sky. Trust me when I say that I don't want to be here any more than you want me to be here. But, it is necessary," I tried to make my voice as reassuring as possible.

"Well, I suppose we don't want to get on the bad side of the Elder Council. I suppose you can stay in the West Wing and keep watch over him, even though the assassin was subdued."

"There could always be more of them willing to make a pretty penny, Blade. Thank you for your cooperation." Jackpot…

Rain's Hand 

**Loredas**

**10:00 pm **

They put me on nightshift, gave me food, shelter, and let me sleep for my upcoming shift. Very hospitable hosts. And I respected them back, swapping stories of past exploits that I made up off the top of my head and talking about the Champion of Cyrodiil, who just happens to be part of our Dark Brotherhood. Then my shift came, the day shift went to patrol the outside perimeters, don't these people ever get any sleep?

Anyway, I didn't realize that there were other people patrolling. I would have to take care of them. So, I took them out, one by one. The day shift never came in until it was about 7:00 am, so I had plenty of time. They all died, their bodies littered the halls. I made sure that I exchanged a Blade's armor for the Imperial Legion armor so they didn't suspect that I had anything to do with it. And then all that was left was the old insomniac Count himself.

He actually did fall asleep. Fancy that, what luck. So I stalked the shadows to his bed. I figure he'd be very… aware, so I was very…discreet. I was right next to his bed. Suddenly, his eyes flickered to life. He would have screamed, but there seemed to be a lump in his throat. Good thing, see, now I had the good sense to stash a secret herb with me before I got here, something to MAKE him sleep. So I stuffed it down the old man's sweet roll hole. And he feel asleep again, halleluiah, thank Sithis.

So he was asleep, no one was around; I had the Blade of Woe in my hand. You can guess the details. If you can't, here's a hint, it took me about a week to get the blood off of my Shrouded Armor. I'm pretty sure that the day shift had some cleaning up to do. Pretty sure that they hated every second of it too. Good, those Blades were nothing but trouble to me from day one of my assassin training. I went "home" and got my reward. It was a nice few hundred gold, but the sheer satisfaction of gutting that damn Count was the only bonus I needed. I guess my virgin blade has been officially deflowered. Too bad that it was deflowered by such a pig. Oh well, next time Vicente tells me to kill a Count, I might just have to break one of the Five Tenets. On second thought, I might go and kill another Count, Sithis wish me luck. Hehehehe.


End file.
